Don’t miss your chance to earn the recognition your pub deserves in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016, organised by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA).
Alongside the opportunity to be immortalised as one of the country’s best chefs on the prestigious top 50 gastropubs list for 2016, which is based on an in-depth industry poll of experts, there are also three exciting awards now open for entry to all dining pubs.
The awards, which are now in their eighth year, are the leading event for the UK’s food-led pubs.
Getting involved in the awards can help you boost your pub’s reputation, raise awareness of the quality of food you serve and help to increase footfall.
PMA editor Ed Bedington said: “The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs is the list for those at the top of the pub-food game.
Ambition of many top chefs
Tom Kerridge:
These awards are about recognising the great and hard work of pub chefs and the strength of great British pub food
“Getting on to the list is the ambition of many top chefs, and entering the awards that run alongside the list is a great way of getting recognition for your business, raising your profile within the industry, and among contemporaries and consumers, and is a great step towards getting on to that prestigious list.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of industry experts are currently being polled by the PMA’s Top 50 Gastropubs Awards regional voting academy in a bid to find the best 50 gastropubs in the trade.
Voters include prominent operators; food writers; catering development managers and executives; celebrity and top industry chefs; and pub and hospitality company bosses.
The list and specialist award winners will be announced at a ceremony presented by two Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge of the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Kerridge, who topped the list in 2012, 2013 and 2014, will be presenting the awards for the second year in a row.
'Honour and really exciting'
Kerridge said: “It’s an honour and really exciting to be presenting the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards 2016. To be able to name the 50 best gastropubs in the UK for the second year in a row is something really special.
“These awards are about recognising the great and hard work of pub chefs and the strength of great British pub food. I’m proud to be a part of it again and I can’t wait to see who will take the number one spot next year.”
The awards are often covered in the national press, and winners have also gone on to be spokespeople for the sector.
Voting is now under way and will close on Friday, 23 October. Visit www.top50gastropubs.co.uk to find out more.
Categories open for your entry
Business Innovation of the Year:
You and your pub may be making the most of one of the best innovation ideas in the industry, so why not get recognition for it?
Last year’s winner, the Richmond Arms in West Ashling, West Sussex, boosted trade by investing in an old Citroen H Van, from which wood-fired pizzas were sold.
This initiative increased the pub’s covers from 40 to 90 and capitalised on the growing demand for street food.
Newcomer of the Year:
This award recognises stand-out pubs that have been open for 18 months or fewer.
Judges will look for details on investment in the business; successful food and drink promotions; strong marketing and PR; and any future development plans.
Front-of-House Manager of the Year:
Does your pub have the best front-of-house manager in the business, then why not enter them into this award and give them the recognition they deserve?
Winners of this category contribute to the success of their team, as well as delivering excellent customer service and inspiring the rest of the front-of-house team.
Judging process:
Three pubs will be shortlisted in each category and then paper-judged by industry experts.
The finalists’ sites will be visited in late November/early December by judges who will see the business in action and sample the food and drink on offer.
The award winners and the 2016 top 50 list will be announced at a lunch at Hermitage Road Bar and Restaurant, Hertfordshire, on 25 January 2016.
Find out more about the awards and how to enter by visiting www.top50gastropubs.co.uk
Top 50 Gastropubs 2016 is sponsored by Estrella Damm and associated partners include Appletiser and Schweppes.